The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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This image of the solar 'chromosphere' was obtained on 12 January 2007 by the Hinode solar observatory. The image reveals the filamentary nature of the plasma (gas of charged particles) connecting regions of different magnetic polarity.
The chromosphere is a thin 'layer' of solar atmosphere 'sandwiched' between the sun's visible surface (or photosphere) and its outer atmosphere (or corona). The chromosphere is the source of ultra violet radiation.
Before such images were obtained, scientists thought the chromosphere was a motionless 'layer', but Hinode showed that this description is obsolete. The satellite reveals a chromosphere that appears as constantly moving field lines like grassland with tall grass swaying under the wind.